Mercedes SL

R 107 with most toys and not so much electronics. I have a R 129/ SL320/97 MY. Great with the power roof/pano hardtop but heavy car and affordable to maintain.

 

Zombie,
The '86 thru '89 560SL,the panzer wagen,is two tons of rolling thunder. There's usually lots listed in Hemmings,and usually priced kinda high,but a nice version with decent miles,I seem to see many with 60k and less,can be asking in the hi-teens/low twenties. And that'd be for a very clean car with records . Be sure to have a good MB mech check it out,since they're not that inexpensive to fix but it's a sturdy build,one of MB's best. But you ought to have a pro give it the eye so you'd know going in,helps in negotiating too. But the 560 engine is a powerhouse and moves this little tank out smartly. It's the model I'd recommend.
Cheers,
RE

 

Just be sure it has warranty left. You never want to own a MB, especially an SL without a warranty. My partner's SL600 needed the turbos replaced at 35k miles at a cost of over $30k!

 

That is just ridiculous.

 

I've never heard of that before. What was he doing wrong?

 

If you don't have to look at the outside.....

 

The exhaust starting making a popping sound and when he carried it into the dealer it needed the turbos replaced under warranty at a cost of over $30k per the dealer.

 

Something sounds wrong, are you sure they weren't exaggerating? That's crazy expensive for that type of work.

 

+1

 

Sounds a little high. I work at Jag and a new motor is not even that much to replace.

 

I don't know, new MB prices are up there with Ferrari. Out of curiosity, I priced out a new navigation system for my R500...the shop wanted $6500.00. If you need a new Panoramic sunroof it costs 10K...

I love Mercedes and mine have been bulletproof, but it is the last car on earth I would own without a warranty...just not enough upside.

The older ones, on the other hand (1980's models specifically), are relatively inexpensive to repair and bulletproof

 

I've owned an SL55 and SL65 both out of warranty and the very few issues I had I don't remember them costing much at all. I'll have to see if I can dig up my old bills. I remember the service advisor apologizing about how much my new brake rotors would be for the SL65. When he told me the figure (which I don't remember right now) I just remember laughing and telling him I was expecting much worse. (and this was all through a Mercedes dealer)

 

Can't speak for the SLs but if they are anything like the late model CLKs - I'd pass on anything 7 yeats or 90k miles.